Guest column: For frustrated Cubs fans, this is just another fall

For almost 50 years, cartoonist Charles Schulz entertained us with "Peanuts" and its wonderful cast of playful kids, plus Snoopy. The comic strip's main character, Charlie Brown, seemed often to walk hand-in-hand with failure.

For instance, just about this time every year, he would attempt to kick a football held in place by a scheming Lucy. But just as success at last appeared possible, Lucy always yanked the ball away, and a befuddled Charlie would just kick air and go crashing to the ground.

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As an 84-year-old, lifelong Cubs fan raised in Chicago, I feel a bit like Charlie Brown. Over the past 70 years, I've lived through a number of baseball seasons in which a World Series appearance seemed absolutely guaranteed for the Cubs. Then the "impossible" struck, and, like Charlie, that guarantee crashed to the ground.

It all began in 1945, the last time the Cubs were in a World Series. As a westside teen, I rarely missed radio broadcasts of Cubs games and occasionally earned the 31 cents needed to attend games: the 3-cent bus fare to and from Wrigley Field, and 25 cents for an upper grandstand seat.

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My favorite player, slugger Bill Nicholson, was actually a Maryland native born, raised, retired and laid to rest in Chestertown. Popular and unassuming, Bill was nonetheless so feared at the plate that once he was intentionally walked when the bases were loaded.

In the 1945 World Series, the Cubs were favored against the Detroit Tigers. They had the best season record in major league baseball and began the series by routing the Tigers, 9-0. A sweep seemed in the making. Not so! The Tigers became world champs in seven games. That was just the beginning.

In 1969, the Cubs occupied first place in their division for 155 days, led by nine games in August, but finally lost 17 of their final 25 games. The Mets (who else!) passed the Cubs by mid-September and eventually won the World Series.

But 1984 seemed sure to be different, when the Cubs and San Diego Padres met in a five-games series for the National League championship. The Cubs won the first two games at Wrigley, and then traveled to San Diego, where only one more win was needed. You guessed it: The Padres won all three remaining games and advanced to the World Series.

In 2003, it was a case of what Yogi Berra termed "deja vu all over again" — incredibly, a 1984 repeat. In the seven scheduled games that comprised the NL Championship Series with the Marlins, the Cubs led 3-1 after four games, and again needed just one more win to reach the World Series. But, like the Padres, the Marlins won all three remaining games. And they won the World Series too.

Finally, there is 2015. There was good reason to be optimistic this year. The Cubs had played solidly all season, and got by the two teams with the best regular-season records: the Pirates in the wild card game, and the Cardinals in the playoff series. And the NL championship seemed locked up, given the fact that the Cubs had defeated the Mets in all seven of their regular season games. But something went very wrong: a Mets sweep.

For those who may wonder: No, I don't believe the Cubs are besieged by the "Curse of the Billy Goat."

If you are unfamiliar with this amusing anecdote, the Internet has a summary. And for those who are familiar: Yes, I know the goat was named Murphy and I also know the San Diego ballpark where the Cubs blew their 1984 opportunity was named (Jack) Murphy Stadium — facts intended by some to associate Mets star Daniel Murphy with a curse.